A hang glider (also known as a delta plane or deltaplane) is a light and foot-launchable aircraft. Most modern hang gliders are made of a lightweight framework covered by a fabric wing. During a flight, the pilot is ensconced in a harness (also called “flight bag”) suspended under the wing and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to a handheld structure called an “airframe”. Most hang gliders are designed to be piloted after takeoff and before landing with the pilot lying in a prone position where the drag is minimized.
Modern hang gliders give pilots the ability to soar and stay airborne for hours using only rising air currents. However, takeoff still requires moving the hang glider up a hill or another elevated location having an open space from which it can be launched to gain the minimum initial airspeed for soaring and then find an ascending air current.
Some arrangements have been proposed over the years to power hang gliders so as to generate enough thrust for taking-off from a flat terrain or the like. Examples of such arrangements can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,801 issued 1 Apr. 1980 to Martin, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,811 issued 26 Aug. 1986 to Rousseau, to name just a few.
Existing arrangements, however, suffer limitations on different aspects and create additional challenges for both the designers and the pilots. For instance, the added weight of some of these arrangements can require additional efforts from the pilot during takeoff, landing and in flight. It can also reduce the easiness of maneuvering the hang glider compared to an unpowered version. Still, the added weight can significantly modify the location of the center of gravity of the hang glider compared to the original powerless version. In some cases, redesigning the original hang glider may be necessary before providing it with a motor.
Clearly, room for improvements always exists in this area of technology.